Retractable table top shelf



y 5, 1965 G. J. CONSIN 3,185,114

RETRACTABLE TABLE TOP SHELF Filed June 18, 1965 1 George Consln INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,185,114 RETRACTAIBLE TABLE Ti}? SHELF George .I. Cousin, 297 E. Lake Forest St.,

Knoxville, Tenn. Filed June 18, 1963, Ser. No. 288,834 3 Claims. (Ell. l0865) The present invention relates to an extensible and retractable shelf which, while capable of being used on any table Where a slide-away shelf would be practical and useful, is primarily designed and adapted for use on and in conjunction with customer serving and eating tables such as are provided in restaurants, hotels, cafes and similar food serving establishments.

One adaptation of the invention is directed to a slidingly mounted shelf which is slidingly bracketed to an underneath side of a restaurant or an equivalent table and which, when it is not in use, is retracted to assume a bidden or concealed position beneath and within the perimeter limits of the table top but is available and is so mounted at at least one accessible end of the table that it may be withdrawn and caused to assume an outstanding position where it then provides an extra facility which is capable of being used in a number of ways. For instance, where the service involved is that which is afiorded in a cafeteria it will be evident that the extending shelf may be employed to support one or more empty trays which are to be returned to the kitchen for washing.

In addition the shelf could be used, probably with a supporting leg, as a tray stand, that is, the tray with the meal thereon could be temporarily set on the shelf or stand until the articles of food have been transferred to the table in a now customary manner. Further, the traystand or shelf lends itself to acceptable use under crowded conditions as a place for an extra occupant where, for example, the ordinary table-end would not afiord a space sufiicient for such purposes.

Stated somewhat more explicitly the invention pertains to a leg-supported or equivalent restaurant or similar table which is, in accordance with the present invention, provided at one marginal edge or end portion with an extensible and retractible rack-type shelf, means being provided on the underneath side of the table top to slidingly mount the shelf and so that it lends itself to various trayserving uses. To the ends desired adapter brackets are fastened to the underneath side of the table top in spaced parallel shelf mounting relationship. The brackets are provided with tracks and the shelf has aluminum side members or rails which are slidingly mounted in the tracks.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the shelf is of openwork rack-like rectangular form and is preferably provided at the outer projectible end thereof with a prop-like leg, said leg being capable of being folded and swung to an out-of-the-way position when it is not being used.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing a restaurant table in a conventional serving booth with the invention attached and appearing partly in elevation and partly in phantom lines;

3,185,114 Patented May 25, 1965 FIGURE 2 is a view taken on an enlarged scale and with parts in elevation, section and phantom lines, the section being taken on the plane of the section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; I

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view on a slightly enlarged scale, that is compared to FIG. 1, and observing the structure illustrated therein in a direction from right to left;

FIGURE 4 is an exaggerated detail view in section and elevation taken on the section line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and 7 FIGURE 5 is a View in perspective of an optionally usable table top, that is, a table top which is applicable to the aforementioned stand and thus employable as an auxiliary extra-person seating table structure in a manner to be hereinafter and again referred to.

Referring now to the illustrative, but not restrictive, views of the drawing it will be noted (FIG. 1) that the table is denoted, as an entity, by the numeral 6 and comprises a suitably supported and fixed table top whose top surface is denoted at 8 and the underneath or bottom surface of which is denoted at 10. To enable the reader to more fully appreciate the nature of the concept and principal improved result which is achieved the table is shown mounted between upholstered or equivalent seats or benches 12 facing each other with a table therebetween in a manner customarily employed in a customers booth such as is commonly employed in present day restaurants, lunch rooms and the like. The facility which is provided here is such in construction and purpose that it may be appropriately construed as either a shelf or a rack and, more explicitly construed, as a tray (self-service type) as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 2.

In carrying out the preferred embodiment of the invention the shelf is extensible and retractable and is extended to the phantom line position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 when in use and is retracted to assume the out-of-the-way full line position also there illustrated. While the shelf could be in the form of a panel it is preferably of openwork construction and is consequently more in the nature of a rack, the same being denoted generally by the numeral 14. It is of U-shaped construction and formed from a length of aluminum tubing bent upon itself between its ends to provide a bight portion 16 and a pair of coplanar spaced parallel legs or limbs 18. These limbs are provided on free ends thereof with caps 20 which constitute limit stops. The legs are slidingly mounted in the hollow or channel portions of the channel-like tracks 22, the latter being integral portions of an adapter bracket 24. The adapter bracket comprises an attaching flange 26 which is milled as at 28 and is firmly clamped againstthe underneath surface 10 of the table top and held removably in position by several (more or less) attaching screws 30. The track 22 preferably comprises an open-ended aluminum tube 32 which is split on one side as at 34.

With this construction the coacting legs of the U-frame 14 and are anchored and slidable back and forth in an obvious manner. The tubular cross members 34 are in spaced parallelism and located between the legs and thus make up a suitable rack. When this rack or shelf is pushed underneath the table, it is, of course, hidden or out of the way but is such that the bight portion 16 is available to permit withdrawal and extension to the. usable position.

illustrated. The end caps 20 on the legs 18 serve as stops and abut the inward ends of the tracks in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. For stability a leg or prop is provided the same being denoted generally by the numeral 38. This a leg is generally T-shaped and the leg proper is denoted at 40 and is provided at arr-upper end with a sleeve-like collar 42 which is rotatable but frictionally mounted on the median portion of the bight portion whereby to permit the leg to be folded and retained in the out-of-the-way position shown in FIG. 2 when not in use orto be swung down and to assume a perpendicular position when in use. For balance the lower end of the legisprovided with a U- shaped crosshead which is denoted at 44 and which has downturned end portions 46 defining short legs which terminate in cap-like feet 48.

Manifestly, it would be Within the purview of the instant inventive concept to provide tables other than lunchroom and restaurant tables with the slidably mount ed hide-away tray stand. On the other hand,.it is be- .lieved that it is best suited to serve the main purposes herein shown and described. It is submitted that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understandingof the invention. Therefore, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

With reference now to FIG. 5 it will be seen that the numeral 50 designates an optionally usable table top. This top may be of the general rectangular construction shown, the same being provided on its underneath side 52 with a plurality of spaced appropriately arranged spring clips 54. These are simple double jaw clips which are so constructed that they may be releasably engaged with the rod members 35 or, if preferred, with the side frame members 34 whereby to provide a temporary extra serving table. In other words, instead of using the rack to support a self-serving tray (not de-;

tailed) the surface canbe employed to support the readily applicable and removable table top or leaf 50 and when the latter is not being used it can be kept in storage and in readiness for use.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. For use in conjunction with a pair of companion spaced parallel booth-type restaurant benches disposed in spaced-apart parallelism and having opposed coplanar elongated dual occupant seats, the improvement comprising a restaurant table structure adapted to be located in an intervening space between the aforementioned benches and having a horizontal table top with one end thereof accessible to a waitress, a pair of spaced parallel coplanar adapter brackets underlying and afiixed to an underneath side of said accessible end portion of said table top and having open-ended complemental supporting and guide tracks, a manually extensible and retractable U-shaped frame also underlying said underneath side, situated in the space between said brackets and in a plane generally coplanar therewith and embodying limbs slidingly mounted in their respective tracks, said limbs being of a length appreciably greater than the length of their respectively cooperable brackets and being joined together and rigidified by intervening crossbraces, said frame being of a size inplan that when in its extended usable position it is ample to support a serving tray such as is commonly used by the aforementioned waitress and being of a lengthappreciably greater than the length of the respectively cooperable brackets and provided with a supporting and stabilizing leg havinverted U-shaped yoke which when in use provides a floor-engaging foot, said leg and foot being .in a common plane and of an overall length substantially the same as the length of said frame, and in combination, a panel-like member constituting an auxiliary table top and functionally designed and structurally adapted to serve as an optionally usable extra leaf for said table top,

and means carried by the underside of said panel-like member permitting the latter to be laid for use atop said Uashaped frame member, said-means embodying a plurality of depending spring clips, said clips being arranged relative to each other and to the component parts of said frame whereby they may be releasably snapped into retaining positions on the arms of said U-shaped frame, said arms being oriented and coordinated therewith.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and. wherein said panel-like member is of a length greater than the width of said table top, also of a length greater than the width of said U-shaped frame, of a width that it completely covers and conceals said U-shaped frame.

3. An attachment for the underneath side of one end portion of a restaurant table of the type which is situated between the seat portions of spaced parallel booth type customer seating and seating benches comprising: a

pair of duplicate spaced parallel coplanar brackets, each bracket embodying an elongated tubular member having a tangential outstanding flange, the flanges of the respective tubular members being adapted to be secured fiatwise to the underneath surface of the tables top, said tubular members being open-ended and providing channel-like tracks, and a manuallyv extensible and retractable U- shaped frame having limbs, said limbs being tubular in cross-section and slidable back and forth in their respective tracks, said limbs being of a length appreciably longer than their respectively cooperable tracks and being joined together and rigidified by interventing cross-braces, the end portions of the respective cross-braces being operable in the tracks by way of the opposed open inner sides thereof, the innerends of the legs of said frame being provided with terminal end caps constituting limit stops which are engageable with the inner limiting ends of the respective tubular members, said frame accordingly constituting a rack, said rack being normally disposed in an a out-of-the-way position underneath the table top when readied for use and the bight portion being positioned outwardly in respect to an outer end of the table top and capable of being readily caught hold of so that the rack can be pulled out and extended for use or caught hold of and retracted when it is not intended to be used, a supporting and stabilizing leg for said frame when the frame is in its extended usable position, said leg having an upper end hingedly joined to a median part of the bight portion of said U-shaped frame, the lower end portion of said leg being provided with an integral inverted U-shaped yoke and said yoke when in use providing a floor-engag ing foot, said leg and foot in combination being in a common plane and also of an overall length substantially equal to the length of the limbs of said U'shaped frame and, in combination, a panel like member constituting an auxiliary table top and functionally designed and structurally adapted to serve as an optionally usable extra leaf for said table top, and means carried by the underside of said panel-like member permitting the latter to be laid for. use atop said U-shaped frame member, said means embodying a plurality of depending spring clips, said clips being arranged relative to each other and to the component parts of said frame whereby they may be releasably snapped into retaining positions on the arms of said U-shaped frame, with said arms being oriented and coordinated therewith.

References Cited by the Examiner V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,018,636 2/12 Shults 10s-ss (Qther references on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Birdsall 108-93 Chester 108-65 Potashnik 297-158 Fuller 108-69 5 Wells 108-93 Brusilowsky 108-93 Jory 297-158 Mills 297-158 Hunt 108-45 Chisholm 108-152 Eucker 297-158 Hubbard 108-152 Jennings 108-45 Klein 108-119 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

Nestor 108-78 10 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN CONJUCTION WITH A PAIR OF COMPANION SPACED PARALLEL BOOTH-TYPE RESTAURANT BENCHES DISPOSED IN SPACED-APART PARALLELISM AND HAVING OPPOSED COPLANAR ELONGATED DUAL OCCUPANT SEATS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A RESTAURANT TABLE STRUCTURE ADATPED TO BE LOCATED IN AN INTERVENING SPACE BETWEEN THE AFOREMENTIONED BENCHES AND HAVING A HORIZONTAL TABLE TOP WITH ONE END THEREOF ACCESSIBLE TO A WAITRESS, APAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL COPLANAR ADAPTER BRACKETS UNDERLYING AND AFFIXED TO AN UNDERNEATH SIDE OF SAID ACCESSIBLE END PORTION OF SAID TABLE TOP AND HAVING OPEN-ENDED COMPLEMENTAL SUPPORTING AND GUIDE TRACKS, A MANUALLY EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE U-SHAPED FRAME ALSO UNDERLYING SAID UNDERNEATH SIDE, SITUATED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BRACKETS AND IN A PLANE GENERALLY COPLANAR THEREWITH AND EMBODYING LIMBS SLIDINGLY MOUNTED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TRACKS, SAID LIMBS BEING OF A LENGTH APPRECIABLY GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THEIR RESPECTIVELY COOPERABLE BRACKETS AND BEING JOINED TOGETHER AND RIGIDIFIED BY INTERVENING CROSSBRACES, SAID FRAME BEING OF A SIZE IN PLAN THAT WHEN IN ITS EXTENDED USABLE POSITION IT IS AMPLE TO SUPPORT A SERVING TRAY SUCH AS IS COMMONLY USED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED WAITRESS AND BEING OF A LENGTH APPRECIABLY GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE RESPECTIVELY COOPERABLE BRACKETS AND PROVIDED WITH A SUPPORTING AND STABILIZING LEG HAV- 